Europeans still want Iran nuclear talks, says France

By Paul Carrel

PARIS (Reuters) – European powers are still keen to talk to
Iran about its sensitive nuclear program despite calling off an
Aug 31. negotiating meeting, French Foreign Minister Philippe
Douste-Blazy said on Wednesday.

Britain, France and Germany have called off next week’s
negotiations on proposals they made to Iran earlier this month
because Tehran has resumed some nuclear work in breach of a
promise to freeze it while talks lasted, France said on
Tuesday.

Douste-Blazy said the trio, acting on behalf of the
European Union, were not slamming the door on Iran, which the
West suspects may be taking the preliminary steps toward making
atomic weapons.

“We are suspending the negotiations,” he told France Inter
radio. “But at the same time, we think it is still possible to
talk to them … There is no reason to close the door on Iran.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.’s nuclear
watchdog, has called on Iran to halt sensitive atomic work and
its head Mohamed ElBaradei is to report on Iran’s activities on
September 3.

“Until the last minute, we hope to be able to talk to
them,” Douste-Blazy said. “If they don’t want to, if they
decide to take nuclear (steps) for military reasons, we will
know on September 3 because Mr ElBaradei … will give us his
report.”

The European Union and the United States suspect Iran of
secretly trying to build nuclear weapons. Iran says it wants
nuclear technology only to cope with booming electricity
demand, not to make nuclear bombs.

U.S. CONCERNED

In Washington, the State Department said the United States
remained concerned about Tehran’s nuclear program despite
reported findings by scientists that bomb-grade uranium traces
found in Iran came from contaminated Pakistani equipment.

Spokesman Sean McCormack said on Tuesday the contamination
issue was “one part of this overall set of questions that not
just the United States has, but the rest of the world has about
Iran’s nuclear program.”

A report by a panel of scientists from the United States,
Russia, France, Japan and Britain will be shared with IAEA
board members early next month, the Washington Post reported.

The Post said on Tuesday the report would support Iran’s
claim that the traces of highly enriched uranium came from
contaminated centrifuges imported from Pakistan.

The Bush administration had pointed to the material as
evidence Iran was making bomb-grade ingredients, the paper
said.

McCormack said Washington had other “unresolved concerns
outside of the issue of the contaminated centrifuges,”
including Iran’s dealings with “clandestine nuclear procurement
networks.”

He also voiced U.S. support for the EU trio’s decision to
call off the August 31 negotiations with Iran.

In Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told
the official IRNA news agency that Tehran wanted to keep
talking, but would not end its nuclear work.

“By negotiation, Iran does not mean simply holding talks.
We still believe negotiations should restore and guarantee
Iran’s right to have access to peaceful nuclear technology,” he
said.

If Iran continues to defy international pressure, Europe
and the United States are likely to press the IAEA to refer
Iran’s case to the U.N. Security Council for possible
sanctions.

Earlier this month the EU trio offered Tehran a package of
economic, technical and political incentives in exchange for a
permanent suspension of Iranian efforts to make nuclear fuel.

Iran rejected the proposals, which also envisaged holding
the August 31 talks, and angered the EU and the United States
by resuming uranium conversion at its Isfahan plant on August
8.